Ginkgo biloba, a tree of the Ginkgophyta division,
has been documented in Traditional Chinese Medicine for the treatment of pneumonic
tuberculosis and asthma, as well as poor circulation. In the past century,
extracts of Ginkgo biloba leaves have been used to treat ailments
associated with Alzheimer’s disease and other disorders linked to poor cerebral
blood circulation. As a result of these medicinal effects, the worldwide sale
of Ginkgo biloba dietary supplements has been estimated at $1 billion (U.S.).

As part of an ongoing investigation of botanical
supplements, three new Standard Reference Materials (SRM) are under development
based on natural, extracted, and processed Ginkgo biloba materials. These
materials are intended primarily for use in validating analytical methods for
the determination of ginkgolides and flavanoid aglycones. These materials may
also be used as control samples to support the analysis of Ginkgo biloba
dietary supplements. Levels of the potentially active constituents
(ginkgolides and flavanoid aglycones) will be determined in the SRMs.

Traditionally, the certification of SRMs has involved the
use of two independent analytical techniques for the determination of the constituent
compounds. For the analysis of Ginkgo biloba, liquid chromatography
coupled with ultraviolet spectrophotometric detection (LC-UV), as well as mass
spectrometric detection (LC-MS), have been chosen as the principal techniques
for the determination of the analytes. In addition to the use of different
analytical techniques, studies of the extraction efficiency, and the hydrolysis
of the glycosides to the aglycones, have been carried out.